Can You Lay A Water Heater On Its Side

There are a lot of different factors that go into deciding what’s the best way to install your water heater, and determining whether or not you can lay it on its side is just one of them. There are a variety of pros and cons associated with installing your hot water heater in any specific location, so it’s important to take all those things into consideration before making the final decision about where you’ll be placing your new unit. Some people think that laying a hot water heater on its side will reduce the stress on the internal components and help increase its lifespan. However, Hot Water Recirculation is a common installation technique in today’s homes, which means installing your water heater on its side isn’t necessarily essential to extending its life expectancy.

Can You Lay A Water Heater On Its Side?

Yes, it is possible to lay a water heater on its side. Many people do this in order to make it more accessible for cleaning and maintenance. However, it is important to be aware that this can decrease the life of the water heater, as it can cause the elements to become damaged.

What Is Hot Water Recirculation?

1. The hot water in your home is commonly circulated throughout the house by a water heater that’s connected to a circulator pump.
2. The pump circulates the hot water to all of the areas of your home where you need it, while simultaneously pushing cold water out of it and into the drain.
3. Hot Water Recirculation is most common in homes where there are multiple bathrooms or showers and no central heating, which means there’s a greater demand for hot water than there is for cold water.

How To Lay A Water Heater On Its Side?

• First, turn the power off to your water heater.
• Then, use a hose to drain any excess water out of the tank and disconnect the supply lines.
• Next, you’ll want to disconnect the electrical connection. Take note of how everything is connected and label it so you can make sure it goes back in correctly when you’re done.
• Then, remove any insulation from around or beneath your unit by unscrewing or cutting any fasteners holding them in place then tip your tank onto its side until it is horizontal with your wall or floor and make sure that there are no obstructions underneath or between the tank and its supports as this could cause damage if/when the water heater is moved again. If you have to move it later on down the track, you’ll want to be very careful so that you don’t roll over one of those obstructions which can easily crack your new hot water heater.
• The final step is to reattach the supply lines and electrical connection, and any insulation that you may have removed previously. Take care when you’re reconnecting your supply lines to make sure that you don’t twist the pipes or use too much force which could cause them to leak, or worse, burst.

Is There A Catch?

1. A water heater that’s placed on its side could increase the risk of water leaking through the casing and harming the ground. The increased pressure can often be too much for the sides to handle, and in many cases, this leads to a significant amount of water leakage.
2. In some cases, homeowners have reported that their water heaters were knocked over by strong winds or falling debris and ended up cracking or breaking as a result. When your water heater is installed on its side, it’s going to be more susceptible to these types of hazards.
3. It might be more difficult to properly vent your hot water heater when you place it on its side. Not being able to properly vent your hot water heater is dangerous and could lead to toxic gasses being produced inside the home and potentially harmful carbon monoxide leaking into your living space if you have an attached garage or another type of structure nearby where your unit is installed.
4. It might be difficult to access your hot water heater when it’s laid on its side, as it could be impossible to reach the lower parts of the unit. This is especially true if you’re installing a gas-powered water heater, which can be dangerous if there isn’t someone around who can turn off the pilot light in an emergency.

What Are The Benefits Of Laying A Water Heater On Its Side? 

• Reduces corrosion

There is a lot of corrosion that takes place inside your hot water heater, and laying it on its side can help reduce the effects of that corrosion. Also, if you were to lay it on its back, the water would be stagnant at the bottom and lead to a lot of rust and sediment build-up. So if you’re trying to keep your hot water clean and clear, suspending it on its side will help minimize these problems.

• Reduces sediment buildup around the drain valve

When you install your water heater with the drain valve positioned upright, sediment will often pool around it as there isn’t much room between it and the bottom of the tank. Suspending your heater on its side allows for easier access to that area so you can properly clean it out from time to time. In addition, this makes draining your unit much simpler because gravity will be working with you instead of against you.

• Laying a water heater on its side is often required

If you have a very small space for your water heater and no room for it to sit upright, then it will probably have to be installed on its side anyway. You also may have to do this if you are trying to keep your unit relatively close to an exterior wall as it is narrow. If this is the case and there isn’t enough room to lay it down, one option you could try in extreme circumstances could be flipping your hot water heater upside down, but that’s pretty rare. You have room for your water heater to hang on its side – keep in mind that a standard 40-gallon tank will weigh about 200 pounds.

Conclusion

When it comes to installing your water heater, there are a lot of different factors that go into deciding what’s the best way to install your water heater. Determining whether or not you can lay it on its side is just one of those factors. There are a variety of pros and cons associated with installing your hot water heater in any specific location, so it’s important to take all those things into consideration before making the final decision about where you’ll be placing your new unit. There are a number of different reasons why you might want to consider laying your water heater on its side. It’s possible to lay your water heater on its side and connect it to both the cold and hot water lines, or lay it on its side and connect it to the cold water line.